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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spell — magic
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. season — of the year
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mate — a friend
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. squash — the sport
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mate — to breed
  15. season — in sport
  16. lean — thin
  17. ball — a great time
  18. spell — letters
  19. squash — to crush
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mate — a partner
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com